Over the years, the Authority suffered from considerable infrastructural deficit at all levels of our operational jurisdiction i.e. Districts, Regional, Youth Leadership Institutes and the National Secretariat. Since 2017, the government has provided funds for massive infrastructural projects.
These include:
1.Construction of ten (10) Youth Resource Centers of Excellence
2.Construction of two (2) Astro-Turfs
3.Facelift and Furnishing of National, Regional and District Offices
4.Construction of four(4) 300 bed capacity dormitories in four Youth Leadership& Skills Training Institutes
5.Construction of two(2)1000 sitting capacity multi- purpose halls in two Youth Leadership& Skills Training Institutes i.e Sandema in Upper East and Nalerigu in North East Region
6.Construction of eight(8) classroom block with a library and ICT center at the Issa Youth Leadership& Skills Training Institute in the Upper West Region
Youth Resource Centers of Excellence
To unearth and develop talents whilst providing the Ghanaian youth with a one-stop-shop to access both sporting and non- sporting (training & recreational) facilities, the Authority with support of its Ministry is constructing 10 Youth Resource Centers of Excellence with a 5000 seating capacity which are at various levels of completion in 10 regions of Ghana, namely;
1.Greater Accra – Azumah Nelson Sports complex, North Kaneshie
2.Volta – Ho/ Adaklu
3.Eastern – Koforidua
4.Western – Axim
5.Central – Dunkwa-on–Offin
6.Ashanti – Nyinahin
7.Bono – Dormaa- Ahenkro
8.Upper West- Wa
9.Upper East – Navrongo
10.Northern – Yendi
The components of phase one (1) for the centers include:
•A FIFA standard football pitch
•8-lane Olympic size running track
•4 spectator stands including a VIP stand
•Tennis court
•Multi-purpose court( basket, volleyball, netball & handball)
•Gymnasium
•Hall for indoor games & activities e.g. table tennis, badminton etc
Non-sporting facilities:
•Mentoring, Coaching &Counselling center
•ICT hub
•Business incubation & entrepreneurship hub
•Youth clinic
•Hostel facilities at some selected centers
•Restaurant
•A Hall of Fame parlor to showcase local achievers Components of phase two (2) for the centers include:
• Erection of outer perimeter fence walls
•Erection of inner perimeter fence wall
• Entrances &Ticketing booths
•Car parks
•Storm drains
•Flood lights
•Scoreboard
•Spectator seats for the courts
Unquestionably, this project when completed will benefit tens of thousands of young people across the country.
Construction of two (2) Astro-Turfs
Two modern astro-turfs are under construction at Tuba in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region and Mamponteng in the Afigya-Kwabre Municipality of the Ashanti Region. This is a contribution to government’s commitment to promote recreation and sporting activities for the youth in these two and other earmarked communities.
These astro-turfs come with:
•FIFA standard pitch
•VIP/Trophy stands
•Spectator stands
•Changing rooms
•Washrooms
•Inner Perimeter fences
•Outer Perimeter fences and
•Business Centers
Facelift and Furnishing of National Secretariat
The existing National Secretariat of the Authority has undergone a massive refurbishment. More so, due to inadequate office space and to also enhance the operations and productivity of the Authority, a contractor has been engaged to build a new office complex which is expected to commence at the end of September, 2020.
Refurbishment of Regional & District Facilities
The Authority is also refurbishing 10 existing Regional Offices and eighty-one (81) District Offices across the country. The refurbishment components include provision of:
•Modern Executive Tables & Chairs
•Printers
•Laptop/Desktop computers
•Photocopiers
•Air-conditioners
•Refrigerators
•Work stations
•File cabinets
Four Regional Duty Post Bungalows in Cape Coast, Sunyani, Koforidua and Wa are currently been rehabilitated.
Moreover, Six (6) brand new Toyota Hilux Pick-Ups have been procured and allocated to six Regional Directorates (Bono, Central, Eastern, Volta, Greater- Accra and Ashanti) to boost their operations.
New offices have also been secured in 120 Districts which hitherto had no NYA presence. Plans are underway to furnish these offices.
Youth Leadership & Skills Training Institutes (YLSTIs)
Pursuant to the National Youth Authority Act 2016, (Act 939), the Authority operates eleven (11) YLSTIs nationwide. These institutes annually churn out skilled youth in various trade areas such as Masonry, Electricals, Carpentry, Building & Construction, Catering & Decoration, Fashion & Designing ,ICT , Metal works, Agriculture, etc. Meanwhile, the Nzeme-Manle Institute in the Western Region which was inactive for some time has now been revived and admissions are expected to begin from next academic year.
The Authority is prioritizing the Leadership component of training offered at these Institutes to inculcate in students leadership skills focusing on governance, civic education, nationalism and patriotism.
It is instructive to also note that, arrears of feeding grant for 2015 & 2016 of the Institutes were promptly paid off in 2017, thanks to the commitment of the government towards Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
In Conclusion
The National Youth Authority with strong support of Government has positioned itself as the apex Youth development agency to take up the challenge of affecting policy in the areas of job creation, business development, entrepreneurship, education, health
• the Ghana Youth Federation will be in place,
• the Youth Parliament will provide the platform for young people to partake in the governance of this country,
• the volunteer program will create the opportunity for young people to join in the development of the country as they sharpen their skills,
• the Youth Resource Centers of Excellence will be fully operational
• the Youth Leadership and Skills Training Institutes will be training many more young people in leadership and technical skills